A Six Syllable Word

When I was younger, I remember my Aunt Trudy using the word "discombobulated".  I knew the meaning had something to do with a state of confusion.  I did not recognize this as a real word, however, as I have never heard anyone ever having used that word before except for Aunt Trudy.  Then just a short while ago when I was watching a rerun of the Match Game.  Tom Bosley had said that he felt discombobulated and it sparked a memory.

I think the word itself is funny to hear as it sounds as if it was just made up by one in a "discombobulated" state.   Research tells me that the word has been around since the late 19th century.   Aunt Gertrude was born just 21 years after the start of the 20th century.  She obviously knew people who had been born in the 19th century who were still using that word.  I have been curious to know about where it had come from or why it was said. 

From one site (here) I learned that it is suggested that the word started out as a playful and nonsense word that somehow caught on during its time.  Does anyone else know of anyone who even says it anymore?  This site provided nine comments.  I have chosen two definitions to share:

It's a slang (originally American) word of unknown origin that goes back well over a century. Probably just a fanciful alliteration of discommode, discomfit, discompose, etc.

It certainly doesn't derive from some pre-existing word combobulate. I think normally you'd be understood if you tried to use that 'back-formation', but I don't think it will catch on.

comment made on 8/20/11

and

I can not speak to previous answers. My opinion is based on personal experience. I first heard combobulate/discombobulate(both terms) in the late 1940s from my 60-year-old grandfather, when I was four. On being asked, he could not recall its source.

Several days later, he came to me with a crumbling old letter he had received as a very young boy (mid 1890s), passed down from his grandmother. It was dated in 1823 and written by his great grandfather, and it contained the word combobulate, meaning (from the sense in which it was used) “to make order”.

At the time of writing it, the elder gentleman was in his mid-60s, so I am left to presume that the term goes back a good deal further.

7/28/15

If the word truly does interest you, you can also check out this site.

Change & Responsibility

          For many of us change is a difficult thing.  We change instructors each time we advance a grade in school.  Our insurance doesn’t allow for a certain expense and we change doctors as a result.  Death always creates change.  We must deal with the void in our lives.  Some do this gracefully.  Others may complain.

          Often, we are asked to accept responsibilities that we certainly hadn’t stood in line for. Some of the responsibilities accepted force us to grow in ways that we may have not otherwise understood.  Take my brother, Corey, and cousin, Michelle for example.  Both had been placed in situations regarding finances attached to an estate.  Corey took over what Patrick had been assigned to do initially.  We had all voted on it.  Patrick seemed the logical choice.  He could have easily cheated each of us out of our inheritance but we all knew that he would not. 

          The day came long before my mom passed.  Corey and Patrick had worked together – each having the power of attorney.  I don’t know that Patrick even wanted to be in that situation – even long before he was asked.  A long time ago - when we had put it to a vote.  I don’t think he voted for himself.  Corey was a teenage kid with little to no tolerance for math.  Patrick had been experiencing health problems and didn’t need the burden. When Corey took over he was obviously more prepared than he was when we had taken the vote.

          When Aunt Gertrude was in rehab we all told her that she would need to update her will.  She would have to give power of attorney to someone eventually.  She picked her two surviving nephews and finally gave in to finding an attorney.  I had heard her oldest nephew didn’t want the responsibility and passed it on to his youngest daughter – though it sounds like Michelle has picked up most of the pieces.  Aunt Gertrude Uncle Ted outlived all three of their nephews and a niece.  Aunt Gertrude outlived Uncle Ted.  He was 100 when he died two years ago.  Aunt Gertrude passed just this year.  She was 97.

          I know that at least three of my cousins have a hard time dealing with change.  When their father passed, it was very hard for them.  She has had to deal with quite a bit of change: Aunt Trudy’s deteriorating mind and physical condition, Uncle Ted’s health, his death, Aunt Trudy’s death . . . I think the experience has made her a stronger person. 

          We all have trials that can make us strong if we allow.  Change doesn’t have to be a horrible thing.  It’s all a matter of perspective.

Dash LF #12 Friendships

        

If you could pick a best friend and your true soul mate from the world of fiction and make them real, who would you choose and why?

      In the classic series "Anne of Green Gables" there is an amazing friendship between Diana Barry and Anne Shirley.  I would love to have a friend like Diana who is always there to route for Anne and love her for who she is.  Diana is more attractive than Anne but does not allow her good looks to interfere with her loyalty.  She is kind and respectful and will keep confidences.

      I would have loved to have a friend like that - someone who has been there for me no matter what.  I have had friends, but not solid friendships like the one between Anne and Diana.  I would pick Diana.

Dash #17 Places

          The thing I love most about living in Myrtle Creek is the close knit community - people who care for one another and express concern more for people than things.  The first couple of years we lived here, I was able to breathe much better than I did in Utah.  I still believe that I do but I haven't done well with the extremely bogus weather we've had.  8 months of no moisture to two weeks of cold and too much moisture -my breathing is not where it should be in my opinion.

          I love living in a relaxed atmosphere as opposed to an uptight bustle.  But I have made no secret of this.  Several of my posts have explained this already.

Oh, the joys of technology.

Though my communications class started on Monday, the lecture isn’t given until Wednesday morning.  I am not able to attend the live session when I am working and cannot listen to the recording until after I return home.  The instructor does have a question-answer period on that same day but I don’t want to just pop in and start asking questions she may have already covered in the video and yet if they are not covered in the recorded lecture, I have missed my opportunity for asking live.  I feel like I am working with a two-edged sword.  I don’t like it.

Our initial discussion post is due on Wednesday, but I like to have it done by Monday or Tuesday.  Sometimes the discussion doesn’t get covered in its entirety anyway.  Thus I did post what I had written based on what I read.  But I had missed the point of the assignment and did not get that turned in until just several hours ago.  There was something mentioned during the lecture that made me realize I hadn’t read the expectations correctly.  I had also missed having to contact the writing center two or three times before I decided to turn it in.

What?  I have to use the writing center to complete this assignment?  It’s been required for at least two other classes and has always been a traumatic experience for me.  Always!  I was never able to keep an appointment or was always late getting in because I have never been able to connect to Blackboard collaboration right away – even when I had believed that the tech at the school had fixed it for me.  Every time I go to sign on, it asks me to download it into the system.  Every time!  Shouldn’t it already be there? 

So my appointment was scheduled for 4:30 MDT yesterday.  I attempted signing in just before 4:00.  Download.  Wait.  Connect.  Really?  I got connected?  I still had twenty minutes before my appointment.

I was told that she had just finished up her 4:00 appointment and I was welcome to start my session early.  I was hoping that she had access to the document I had submitted at the time of my making the appointment.  My computer and laptop haven’t been communicating as usual and I couldn’t retrieve the document from either device.  The assignment hadn’t been saved to my laptop (though I had used the cloud) and my pc seems to be at a frozen stage whereas I am not getting any icons to click on nor does the search allow me to type anything.  Roland thinks the keyboard is the problem.  I don’t see how.

Falling Into Place

            It's uncanny how much of my life or programs will fall into my path during courses I am taking, and I can use those experiences or episodes to tie into school discussions or assignments.  Take this week for example.  I have just started a class in communications and public speaking.  It started on Monday.  It was the same day that at least one of the elementary schools in our area had a fire drill.  I know this because I was there.

            Yesterday the fire alarm went off again. Word came over the walkie-talkies that "Everyone needs to be out of the building. This is NOT a drill."  Some of the students heard that, but not everyone did.  The drill took place during class.  The more serious threat was during lunches.  The children were safe.  I suspected that the fire was not a major fire but more of a trash-fire although I had no way of knowing for certain.  I personally had not heard the word "fire" but had heard one of the custodians requesting a need for the fire department.  It could have been a bad chemical in the air.  I didn't know.  I tried to focus on the comforting the children with positive thoughts.

            Rumors get out of hand on face-book and fires spread more quickly on social media than the flames near the faulty outlet or the smoke traveling down the hall.  Parents panic and make the situation worse when they hurry to the school to and demand to check out their students right now.  They are only making it worse for the emergency vehicles that need to get through the safety of the children that need to be accounted for.  None of the parents had been contacted about the fire drill that we had on Monday but all of them seemed to know about the fire trucks coming to the school in response to an actual emergency.

            The kids were safe.  The educators were safe.  There was an orderly manner of conduct - though perhaps not as smooth as it had been on Monday.  Still, everyone had been accounted for and were allowed to return to the school in under thirty minutes.  Parents need to learn to trust the system.  Hey, I'm a parent.  I have a student who's been on lockdown more than once.  She has been a part of fire drills, earthquake drills, and more recently intruder lock-down drills.  And I have trusted the system.  I know that my efforts to contact the school will only interfere with or delay the safety of my child.  I need to have faith in those who are with her and in a higher being.  Things will work out the way they're supposed to.  I feel blessed that I am not afraid.  I am grateful to all the educators who stand with our children and protect them.  I have always been grateful to the firefighters - especially in this area where I currently reside.  Most of them are volunteers.  

            They went into the school. They took care of the situation at hand.  Everybody is fine.  Well . . . I know there are parents who are not fine.  Perhaps they will never be fine.  Fire drills are a way of preparing for a cause or event.  Perhaps the parents should practice understanding the system and make it a priority to have a bit of faith and not panic! I have more appreciation for walkie-talkies and other devices of communication.  This week and last month have helped me to prepare.

Morning Fog = Super Warm Evenings

The fog looked worse when I left the house than it does in these three pictures.

I used to watch fog and clouds surrounding the hills south of us.  

The longer the fog lingered in the morning, the warmer it was in the evening

Not that 65 or 67 is especially HOT -but when you consider the snow storms

just three weeks ago.  Dreary skies.  Grey and Drab.

But afternoons bring blue skies with enough coolness in the air that it's bearable

But by 3:30 and 4:00 it is unbearable. 

The fog has moved to the north side where we are and surrounds the entire city like we've been sucked into an endless vapor

It doesn't have an order nor is it bothersome like smoke from burning leaves, but still envelops us as though we are on an eerie set of a Halloween movie.   I don't know what time the fog starts.  I'm not up that early. 

I know it lifts before 10:30.  We had a fire drill today and it was nice outside.  Still cool, but clear enough that we could see all the other classes that went out the same exit.

I can see across the hills this morning.  I wonder if that means if won't be as  hot for us today as it was yesterday.

Dash #157 Peter from the New Testament

Who is Your Favorite Person in the Scriptures?

I like Peter, the senior apostle of Jesus Christ, found in the New Testament. 

Peter has many human qualities.  (John 13:36 -38)

He is not perfect.

Sometimes his faith is waivered.  (Matthew 14:27 - 30)

He isn't always in control of his emotions.  (John 21:7)

He seems a bit hard-hearted at times.  (Mark 8:32)

Though he tries to understand certain things, sometimes he just doesn't get it.  (John 13: 8 - 10; 21:15-17)

He tries hard to please his Master. (Matthew 26:35, Mark 10:28; John 2:37)

He tries to defend him. (John 18:10)

He makes mistakes. (Luke 22: 34; Mark 14 :70-72)

He is forgiven. (D&C 64:2-4)

I relate to Peter because so many of his human qualities are represented.

He's not perfect.  But the Savior loves him no matter what.  And He forgives him. 

Peter gives me hope. (Matthew 16:18)

What's the Opposite of Right?

Another word for correct is the word "right"

It's opposite is "wrong", you can check this site

But let me ask a question if I might

"Isn't 'left' the opposite of 'right'?"

For example, I am right handed, yes indeed

Writing with my left makes the paper hard to read

Eating with my right hand also feels right to me

As eating with my left-hand feels wrong and sloppy

In school, we learn to read from left to right

But if I apply that to math, I won't seem so bright

For we go from right to left when doing math

Solving problems from left to right is not the right path

There is only one right answer but many that are wrong

If I try to line the digits where they don't belong.

So is it left and right or right and wrong

I am now finished with the left-right-wrong song.

Have I Seen You Before?

          I didn’t realize how common, familiar or recognizable my face was until my mission.  People allowed me to enter their homes when they thought I was somebody else.

          “Oh, you are not my niece, Pam,” one woman said after she let me in and then read my name tag.

          I predicted that she and her niece must not have been that close.

          I’ve had people seek me out to ask me questions or confide their entire life-history to me as though there was a neon sign on my head that said, “Please, tell me your life story.  Share all your woes with me.”

          It didn’t seem to matter if I was looking at a book or engaged in another conversation.  People would horn in on my territory and pounce on me.  I hadn’t thought about it at the time, but perhaps it was because they believed I was someone they had already met – like an old friend or a psychiatrist or something.

          I recall at least two times when a co-worker wasn’t getting something or needed extra help with whatever.  Each put in a request for me to assist which I thought was odd – especially the first girl  I thought was highly immature and would have liked to see her take a permanent leave of absence from the company.

          The other one was from another workplace.  I had been working there on a temporary assignment which meant I was being paid through an agency and not the company where this girl (I'll call her Tess) worked.  She was in a different department than I was and so I had little contact with her to begin with.

         Tess had been called into the office as she was struggling with a concept.  Tess had made a request for me to assist her to understand whatever it was that had been expected of her.   Thus, I was called into the office and told that I had been requested by Tess could I train her on how to do a step that was needed to make her job more efficient.   Okay?  I thought it an odd request as I was only a temp on a different payroll system and in a different department.  But I did accept the assignment to train Tess.

          My looks (or whatever familiarity it was) for the most part have worked in my favor.  People seem to automatically like me perhaps assuming I am somebody else, but I did have one job where the boss couldn’t stand me.  The job was only seasonal, and I was never happy there – but I don’t believe I ever had my lips pursed or gave the appearance that my wardrobe was too tight and if I wasn’t comfortable I would be certain that no one else was either.

          The seasonal job involved a bus line charter that would take passengers from the airport to one of three ski resorts or vice-versa.  Potential clients would call to reserve a time to be picked up from airport or location.  Sounds easy, right?  And yet there were passengers that would not get picked up because the information either hadn’t been recorded properly, related properly or delayed because of the weather.  If the third option was the reason, we were to contact those customers to let them know about the delay.  The transition was rarely ever smooth.  I don’t know why there was such complication with communication.  All I know is my first boss was let go I would guess because of so many unsatisfied clients.

          So then came along Ruth to clean up the mess that the first had left behind.  I suggested to her that we should have a meeting to learn whether we were on the same page or not.  When she finally did get around to having the meeting, I wasn’t invited.  I was complaining about it to one of my co-workers who said that I intimidated Ruth. 

          “She didn’t like me before I opened my mouth.  She waltzed in her, looked at me, and just started hating me for no reason!”

          Ruth let me go.  It was actually a relief on my part.  I did not care for the atmosphere and I especially hated the location.  I thought because it was seasonal I could stick it out, but I really wasn’t happy.  Ruth did me a favor.  She probably wouldn’t have fired me if she had known how great I felt inside.

          Roland has always had this kid magnetism that I myself have not possessed until lately when I have subbed at some of the schools in our area.  Often, I will be with behavioral or academically challenged youth who again will view me as a comrade.  I had met a troubled youth on a Thursday last month.  I had not seen her again until this month.

          “Have I met you before,” she asked.

          “We met on Thursday before the power went out.”

          She just nodded as though it were an acceptable answer but has asked me the same question the following day.  She recognizes me as someone she can trust.  Other instructors have had their struggles with this particular individual, but her behavior has been acceptable in my presence.

          Just this week I was introduced to another that struggles academically and displays emotional outbursts as a result.  The size of this individual indicates that she is much older than she is.  Her brain indicates that she is much younger.  Apparently, we are tight.  I did not know this until yesterday when she came in from recess and started to make a b-line towards me but was intercepted by the teacher giving instructions.  The student was upset that her teacher hadn’t allowed her to share with me whatever important thing it was.

          Perhaps it's the color of my hair that makes me trustworthy.  I look like my mom did in her final years.  Except she lost weight and I have gained it.  I wish I didn’t enjoy eating naughty things or at all.  I’ve eaten things that are good for me as well – but not in moderation, unfortunately.  

         I really am a trustworthy individual and overall polite.  Sometimes I feel irritation but try so hard not to express it to the individual I am frustrated or irritated.  Having a common/familiar/recognizable face has its advantages, I guess. Perhaps all those who think I look familiar know me from before we were born.

How Long Must We Wait

          A member of the ward had told me about the Burger King in Canyonville - which by the way is not called "Fast" Burger King or "Express" Burger King with good reason.  I'd forgotten about his comments until one day I decided to stop there on my way home from working at the school.  I could have seriously driven home and back before my order was ready.   And I had only ordered two items!

          I don't know how long it was (a couple of months, I would guess) when I decided to give them a second chance.  No.  The post office would beat them in a race.  I have usually just parked the car and gone in and didn't realize that the drive-through would be faster (though not by much).  Roland and I were at the DMV in Canyonville and decided to stop off at Burger King on the way home.

          After he paid, the worker at the drive-through said that our food would be a minute and would Roland mind pulling around to the front.  He opted not to do so.  After all, we had been inconvenienced already - and it's not like the food would be ready for the next six-plus cars that were behind us.  Why not just have their food ready when they pay.  Roland actually did everybody a favor by staying put. 

          We never have that kind of a wait in Roseburg.  At least it doesn't seem like we do.  Maybe.  Fast food my foot.  But hey, at least we know our food hasn't been sitting under a heating lamp all day, right.

Dash #622 Knock Knock Jokes

Knock-knock jokes are question-and-answer jokes, playing off of words typically ending with a pun.  For example:

person 1:         Knock-knock

person 2:         Who's there?

person 1:         banana

person 2:         banana who?

person 1:         Knock-knock

person 2:         Who's there?

person 1:         banana

person 2:         banana who?

person 1:         Knock-knock

person 2:         Who's there?

person 1:         banana

person 2:         banana who?

person 1:         Knock-knock

person 2:         Who's there?

person 1:         orange

person 2:         orange who?

person 1:         orange you glad I didn't say banana?

the word "orange" is a "play on words" for "aren't"

There is a reason I have chosen this particular joke as an example - I just didn't know if I should include it before or at the end of my post.  It was Jenna's first joke - well sort of.

I had just returned home to find her in her room perhaps just a few months before she turned three.

"Hi, Sweetie," I said.

"Knock-knock" she said.

I played along, "Who's there?"

She was silent for a minute and then continued.

"Knock-knock" she said again.

Once again, I played along, "Who's there?"

This went on for about five or six rounds.  I stopped playing along.

Finally, she looks up at me and says, "Banana" and I started laughing. I had no idea that she was telling her first knock-knock joke until that very moment.  She just looked at me like, "I just don't get why that is supposed to be funny".  I thought it was funny because she had told it incorrectly, but also proud of her accomplishment that she had attempted to tell me a joke.

I made this page for her scrapbook: 

Daylight Savings Time is a HORRIBLE joke.